Spinal disorders are some of the most prevalent health concerns, especially among students. Based on student demographics, this cross-sectional study evaluated the correlation between functional tests (FTs) and spinal range of motion (ROM). This study included 206 students (age = 19.85 ± 1.80 years) from the Vasile Alecsandri University of Bacău. Participants’ assessments were conducted using the following tests: (i) Ott, (ii) Schober, (iii) Stibor, (iv) finger-to-floor distance, (v) lateral flexion of the cervical and lumbar spine, and (vi) flexion of the cervical spine. Correlation analyses were evaluated using the Spearman correlation coefficient analysis. The results indicated a very strong relationship between lateral flexion of the lumbar spine on the left (LFLSL) and right (LFLSR) for all departments (r = 0.85 to 0.97, p < 0.05). There was a stronger relationship between FT results and spinal ROM for physical-education-department students compared to students from other departments (n = 17, r = −0.38 to 0.93, p < 0.05). There was no statistically significant correlation between FTs and spinal ROM based on age (p > 0.05). The study results provide evidence of the primary risk factors that predispose students to postural deviations. Practitioners and physiotherapists can utilize these values as a reference for potential therapeutic interventions.

Objectives: This paper aimed to assess the motor performance in the Burpee Movement Program through the acceleration recorded by the Phyphox mobile app and define its relationship to strength and endurance parameters. Methods: Altogether, 15 students in physical education teaching completed the 3 × 3 min Burpee Movement Program, consisting of the repeated execution of a single burpee with maximum effort at regular intervals triggered by a sound signal. During the load phase, the intensity of the burpee and the fatigue index expressed in percentages were evaluated by means of the acceleration recorded through a mobile phone. In the second part of testing, we evaluated the performance parameters during a bench press and squat where the intensity was measured using a linear displacement transducer (Tendo Power Analyzer) and aerobic endurance was assessed with a 20 m shuttle run test (20 mSR). Results: The average intensity of the burpee ranged from 3.12 to 11.12 ms−2. The fatigue index ranged from −21.95% (which represented an increase in performance) to 33.63% (which represented a decrease in performance). The performances in the bench presses ranged from 58 to 480 W and from 175 to 696 W during the squats. The distance in the 20 m shuttle run test (20 mSR) ranged from 540 to 2000 m. The intensity of the burpee showed a significant correlation to the performances achieved in the bench presses and squats r = 0.82 and 0.79. The fatigue index showed a significant correlation to the 20 m shuttle run test (20 mSR) r = −0.67. Conclusions: These findings indicate that in, our case, the results from the Burpee Movement Program are significantly associated with the participants’ strength and endurance abilities. We recommend using BMP for the development of strength–endurance abilities, but further exploration is needed regarding the potential use of BMP as a diagnostic test.

(1) Background: Physical activity (PA) plays a crucial role in preserving and enhancing mental health, particularly in the aftermath of major health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the specific levels and domains of physical activity that have the greatest impact on alleviating symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress in the post-COVID-19 period remain unclear. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of different levels and domains of PA on mental health parameters, specifically symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress, in individuals who had recovered from COVID-19. (2) Methods: The study included initial measurements (2–4 weeks post-recovery) and final measurements (14–16 weeks post-recovery). The sample comprised 288 participants aged 20 to 60 years (M = 47.06; SD = 12.41), with 95 men and 193 women. PA was assessed using the long version of the IPAQ questionnaire, while mental health was evaluated using the long version of the DASS scale. (3) Results: Stepwise regression analysis revealed that low- (p = 0.010) and moderate-intensity (p = 0.022) PA was significantly associated with reductions in anxiety symptoms as well as lower stress levels (low PA: p = 0.014; moderate PA: p = 0.042). Total PA (p < 0.001) and vigorous-intensity PA (p = 0.008) emerged as significant predictors of reduced depression levels. Among the domains of PA, home-based activities had a statistically significant impact on all three mental health components: anxiety (p = 0.005), depression (p = 0.002), and stress (p = 0.041). Transport-related PA was significantly associated with anxiety (p = 0.011) and stress (p = 0.022), but not with depression. (4) Conclusions: The results suggest that a combined model incorporating different levels and domains of PA may represent an effective approach to improving mental health in individuals recovering from COVID-19. Further longitudinal studies are needed to establish more precise causal relationships.

Background: Mind–body exercise interventions such as Pilates have been increasingly investigated for their potential to improve cardiovascular, metabolic, and neuroendocrine regulation; however, age-related physiological adaptations in previously sedentary women remain insufficiently characterized. Objective: To evaluate cardiovascular, metabolic, and neuroendocrine responses to a 4-week Pilates intervention in previously sedentary adult women using a single-arm longitudinal study design. Methods: This prospective longitudinal study included 30 women stratified into two age groups: 30–40 years (n = 15) and 50–60 years (n = 15). Participants completed a supervised 4-week Pilates program (3 sessions/week, moderate intensity). Resting heart rate (HR), systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP, DBP), body mass index (BMI), abdominal circumference (ABD), fasting blood glucose (GLU), and serum cortisol (CORT) were assessed at baseline (T0) and post-intervention (T1). Within-group changes were analyzed using paired Student’s t-tests, between-group differences using ANOVA, and associations between variables using Pearson correlation analysis. Results: Both groups demonstrated favorable cardiovascular, metabolic, and neuroendocrine adaptations following the intervention. In the 30–40 years group, significant reductions were observed in HR (Δ = −10.7 ± 3.2 bpm, p < 0.0001), BMI (Δ = −1.61 ± 0.4 kg/m², p = 0.0050), and GLU (Δ = −9.7 ± 6.1 mg/dL, p = 0.0044). In the 50–60 years group, significant reductions were observed in SBP (Δ = −10.8 ± 3.1 mmHg, p = 0.0001), DBP (Δ = −7.1 ± 2.4 mmHg, p = 0.0001), GLU (Δ = −11.9 ± 7.3 mg/dL, p = 0.0051), and CORT (Δ = −54.9 ± 22 nmol/L, p = 0.0422). Between-group analyses demonstrated significantly greater reductions in SBP, DBP, BMI, and CORT, whereas changes in HR, ABD, and GLU did not differ significantly between age groups. Pearson correlation analysis revealed significant associations between cardiovascular, metabolic, and neuroendocrine adaptations, particularly between HR and BP responses in the younger group, and between BMI and GLU changes in the older group. Conclusions: A 4-week structured Pilates program induced favorable cardiovascular, metabolic, anthropometric, and neuroendocrine adaptations in previously sedentary adult women, with significant age-related differences observed for blood pressure, body mass index, and serum cortisol responses. These findings support Pilates as a multidimensional exercise intervention for cardiometabolic and stress regulation.

Spinal disorders are some of the most prevalent health concerns, especially among stu-dents. Based on student demographics, this cross-sectional study evaluated the correlation be-tween functional tests (FT) and spinal range of motion (ROM). This study included 206 students from Vasile Alecsandri University of Bacău. Participants' assessments were conducted using the following tests: (i) Ott, (ii) Schober, (iii) Stibor, (iv) finger-to-floor distance, (v) lateral flexion of the cervical and lumbar spine, and (vi) flexion of the cervical spine. Correlation analyses were evaluated using Spearman correlation coefficient analysis. The results indicated a very strong re-lationship between lateral flexion of the lumbar spine on the left (LFLSL) and right (LFSR) for all departments (r = 0.85 to 0.97, p < 0.05). There was a stronger relationship between FT results and spinal ROM of physical education department students compared to students from other de-partments (n = 17, r = -0.38 to 0.93, p < 0.05). There was no statistically significant correlation be-tween FT and spinal ROM based on age (p > 0.05). The study results provide evidence of the pri-mary risk factors that predispose students to postural deviations. Practitioners and physiothera-pists can utilize these values as a reference for potential therapeutic interventions.

Objectives: The mobile phone has become an inseparable part of everyday life, and are equipped with a variety of sensors that make it possible to monitor different aspects of human activity, including physical exercise. The aim of this study was to verify whether acceleration recorded by a mobile phone can reliably reflect the intensity of strength exercises. Methods: 40 participants with different levels of physical perfor-mance were involved in the experiment. Each subject completed 30 repetitions of the clean and jerk exercise, performed at regular intervals over the course of 11 minutes with a barbell weighing 30 kg. A mobile phone equipped with the PHYPHOX application was attached to the right forearm to record acceleration values. From each repeti-tion, both the average and maximum acceleration were evaluated. As a control pa-rameter, the barbell velocity was measured using the Tendo Power Analyzer. Results: The results showed that the mean acceleration during the exercise was 4.80 ± 0.95 m·s⁻², while the maximum acceleration reached 33.71 ± 15.19 m·s⁻². The average power output was 419.00 ± 67.34 W, and the maximum power achieved 913.81 ± 259.44 W. The mean execution velocity was 1.42 ± 0.23 m·s⁻¹, with a maximum velocity of 2.16 ± 0.38 m·s⁻¹. Data analysis revealed a significant correlation between both average and maximum acceleration and average and maximum velocity (r > 0.65, p < 0.01). Conclusions: These findings suggest that a mobile phone can serve as a practical and reliable tool for assessing the intensity of strength exercises. However, due to the small number of participants, further research on a larger sample is recommended to verify the generalizability of the results and potentially extend the application of this method to other types of physical activities.